To the Editor:
The Town of Lady Lake is a small community that prides itself in thinking ahead. They actually have reserves of water and sewer services for future development in Lady Lake. Who do you think paid for those reserves? The customers and taxpayers of the Town of Lady Lake.
Sumter County has recently allowed two developments of high-density apartments that are contiguous to the Town of Lady Lake. One is north, on U.S. 441 and the other south on County Road 466. Combined these two complexes will contribute at least 700 new residents and possibly 1,000 depending on how many bedrooms they have. I know Lady Lake is providing water and sewer service to the property on CR 466 I do not know if they are providing water and sewer for the property north on 441.
Now, more property owners in Sumter County are requesting water and sewer from the Town of Lady Lake but the properties are not in Lady Lake, nor Lake County. They are in – you guessed it – Sumter County.
Does anyone believe that the up-front payment offered to Lady Lake or the extra service fee will cover the loss of these valuable reserves or the future cost of providing these water and sewer services to Lady Lake residents and businesses. If money could be made providing water or sewer services, The Villages would not have turned these property owners down and neither would Sumter County.
Providing municipal services is not supposed to be, nor is it, a money making enterprise. It is an essential service necessary for citizens and customers. Sumter County officials are pushing the cost of providing these valuable services onto the citizens of the Town of Lady Lake.
While all of this is going on, Lady Lake has approved apartments behind Sam’s Club, on Lake Ella Road and on, or along CR 466. All of these will require water and sewer not to mention all of the future development along CR 25 after U.S. 441 is reconstructed.
I say shame on Sumter County for attempting to put these costs on the Town of Lady Lake. Since Sumter County claims to be one of the lowest taxing counties in Florida, let them pay for their own water and sewer and keep Lady Lake services for Lady Lake residents.
In this volatile and swift development environment, water and sewer will be gold and silver for the Town of Lady Lake – just watch and see! My two cents.
Robert Nyce
Village of El Cortez
